Container tipping machine



1933- c. J. SCHROEDER CONTAINER TIPPING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet l w y 1 M m w w r m mm W [I C m 16 J B N K 1 Iv C m m M m. y d 1.. m E F mull Nov. 21, 1 933. c. J. SCHROEDER CONTAINER TIPPING MACHINE Filed May 21, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l nverzjwfi Carl J Schroeder UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,935,891 comma TIPPING MACIHNE' Carl J. Schroeder, Chicago, 111., assignor to Standand Oil Company, Chicag 111., a corporation of I Indiana Application May 21, 1931. Serial m. 538,942 4 Claims. (01. lea-25) This invention relates to a mechanismv for handling containers or'barrels whereby the containers may be received from one conveyor, automatically turned from one axial position to another and placed upon a second conveyor in the axial position to which they have been turned.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a mechanism for transferring cylindrical containers disposed in a horizontal rolling axis position to an up-end position or substantially vertical position, and placing the containers upon a conveyor by which they are carried away.

Another object is to provide a rotatable barrel tipper which may be continuously operated at a predetermined time relationship to the time of receipt of the containers.

A further object is to whereby the weight of the container will be utilized in changing the axial position from a horizontal position to a vertical position.

The invention to satisfactorily in connection with any container, but it is particularly adapted for handling cylindrical containers such as barrels. For the purpose of convenience the hereinafter disclosure will be made with reference to barrels and a barrel handling system. Obviously, thisis not to be considered as a limitation upon the scope of the invention.

, Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the barrel tipping machine illustrating a preferred embodiment; of the invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken along the line IIII of Figure 1, showing the bumper and associated details.

I Figure 3' is a horizontal section taken along the line lI[-III of Figure 1, showing the conveyor chains in relation to the barrel tipper and the associateddetails of the barrel tipping mechanism.

Figure 4 is a vertical cross section taken along the line IV-IV of the reversible bevel-gear clutch.

Briefly, the barrel tipper, as shown in Figure 1, comprises a large wheel with a plurality of cradles arranged around the periphery of the wheel for receiving the barrels and retainingthem while rotated through a 90 angle. A suitable trackor conveyor, as shown in Figure 2, discharges the barrels disposed in a horizontal rolling position into the cradle .at the top of the provide a mechanism be disclosed can be operated wheel. As the wheel rotates in a predetermined time relationship to the receipt of the barrels, other barrels are discharged into the cradles, and when the wheel has rotated through a 90 angle the axis of the barrel will be in a vertical position. A second conveyor adjacent the barrel tipper intercepts the barrels after they have been turned to the vertical axial position and removes them from the cradle. The power for operating the barrel tipping mechanism is'transmitted through 5 a bevel-gear clutch, thereby making it possible to reverse'the rotatable wheel and place the barrels on either of thejconveyors adjacent the wheel. Also, when the clutch is in a-neutral position the Worm-drive shaft may be turned by a handle on the end of *said shaft, thereby enabling an adjustment of the large wheel if it is not properly timed with the conveyor that delivers the barrels to the cradles.

As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, a suitable foundation member 1 rests upon the floor 2 and supports eight standards or upright members, as shown at 3, 4 and 5. The four standards as shown at 3 support the frame work 6 for the conveyor chains 7 to pass between. The two standards 4, so see Figure 2, support the bearing frame 9 and bearings 9a for the axle shaft of the octagonal wheel. The two standards as shown at 5 support the bumper 8 that aids to absorb the jar when the barrels are discharged into thecradles. Any resilient means may be interposed adjacent the barrels for absorbing the jar of the barrels as they are discharged into the cradles.

The barrel tipping wheel, whose periphery forms the cradles for the barrels, ismade of two octagonally shaped wheels mounted upon the axle shaft 12. Each octagonal wheel is made up of spokes 1'0 rigidly fastened to the flange 11 and radially extending to the periphery of the wheel. The flange 11 also secures the octagonal wheel to axle shaft 12. The ends of the spokes are con nected together by the members 13 which form the sides of the barrel cradle or barrel saddle. The spokes and cradles are rigidly attached to each other by means of angle brackets 14. The wheels are cross-braced and interbraced by struts as shown at 15 and 16 respectively. Extending perpendicularly from each end of the cradles is a pair of toes 1'7 for supporting the barrels as they are turned from the horizontal axial position to the vertical axial position. The clearance between the toes of each cradle is sufficient to permit the toes-to straddle the conveyor that inter tipper, viewing Figure 1, and extending between the toes of the cradles are two conveyors for intercepting the barrels in an up-ended position. The conveyors consist of chains 7 which are trained over the sprockets 18 and slide along the track 7a located between the frame members 6. Plates So for guiding the barrels are secured to the frame member 6 and extend parallel with the conveyor chains. The sprockets for driving the conveyor are mounted on the shaftv 18a, and the shafts are held in position by brackets 19 rigidly fastened to the frame 6 of the conveyor. The conveyors may be operated at any convenient speed that will remove the barrels from the cradles as they are placed upon the conveyor and not interfere with oncoming barrels.

The power for operating the octagonal wheel is transmitted by the power shaft 20'to the reversible bevel-gear clutch and then to the worm gear by the drive shaft 21. The worm 22 is rigidly keyed to the shaft 21 and meshes with the worm wheel 23. The worm wheel is keyed to the axle shaft 12 by the key 24, see Figure 2. The bracket 25; which is secured to member 4, supports a bearing for shaft 21 and holds the worm 22 in mesh with worm wheel 23. v

A bevel-gear clutch, as shown in Figure 4, is interposed between the source of power and the barrel tipper so that the barrel tipper may be rotated in either direction. This adds greater flexibility to the use of the barrel tipping system. The bevel-gear clutch comprises a U shaped hear.- ing frame 26 which is provided with bearings 27 and 28 to support the shafts 20 and 21 respectively. The bevel-gear 29 is rigidly keyed and bolted to the shaft 20 by the key 30 and nut 31, and it meshes with the bevel-gears 32 and 33. The gears 32 and 33 are free to rotate on the shaft 21 and are held in-mesh with the bevel-gear 29 by the U shaped bearing frame. Concentrically arranged in equal spaced relation around the hub of the free bevel-gears 32 and 33 is a series of fingers 34. Disposed between the two bevel-gears 32 and 33 and mounted upon the same shaft is a splined clutch 35. The two faces of the splined clutch 35 are provided with recesses 36 concentrically arranged in equal spaced relation so as to mesh with the fingers 34 that project from the hub of the bevel-gears 32 and 33. An annular groove 37 encircles the clutch element 35, and a pin 38, held by the fork 39, projects into the annular grooves and enables the clutch element to be shifted by the lever 40 that pivots about the pin 41. When the clutch is thrown in gear, by the lever 40, the fingers 34 intermesh with the recesses 36 and thereby permit the power from shaft 20 to be transmitted to the worm-gear drive. The clutch may be inter-meshed with either bevel-gear 32 or 33, depending upon the direction of rotation of the barrel tipper desired.

When the clutch element 35 is in a neutral position, the shaft 21 may be turned by the handle 42 independently of the power shaft 20. This enables the barrel tipping wheel to be adjusted so that the cradles will progressively rotate to the proper position in a timed relation to receipt of the barrels.

The power shaft 20 may be connected to any source of power, but if convenient, to the same source of power that operates the conveyor which delivers the barrels to the barrel tipper. This assures a better timing of the barrel tipper with the barrels as they. roll from the track 43. Also the discharge of the barrels from the track 43 onto the cradles may be regulated by the rotatable wheel. To accomplish this a retaining means may be disposed on the inclined track 43 for holding the barrels until a cradle has almost reached the discharge end of the track, then the retaining means is released by a cam on the shaft 12 or by an arm projecting from the rotatable wheel, thereby permitting a barrel to roll into the cradle as it passes the discharge end of the track 43.

When the herein described barrel tipper system is operated, the barrels are discharged from the track 43 at a' predetermined time relationship to the speed of rotation of the wheel. As each barrel is discharged or rolled from the track 43, a cradle moves to the proper position and the barrel rolls therein, as shown at 44. After the barrels have been turned through a 90 angle they are automatically placed upon the conveyor chains 7 and carried away, as shown at 45. Instead of moving the barrels to the cradles by the track 43, they may be placed on the cradles by hand or any suitable means.

A small power requirement is needed for the operation of the barrel tipper when more than four cradles are provided on the wheel. In the specific embodiment of the invention, as shown in Figure 1, the weight of the barrels exert a rotative force on the wheel as the barrels are carried through the 90 angle. If the rotative force exerted by the barrel is sufficient to overcome the friction of rotation, the source of power may be disconnected from the barrel tipper and the tipper operated by gravity or the rotative force exerted by the barrels. Also, the weight of the barrels maintain a constant pull upon the rotating wheel and thereby avoids acceleration and deceleration of the wheel as the barrels are taken off and on the rotating wheel.

The preferred embodiment of my invention as shown in Figure 1 shows an octagonal wheel, but it should be appreciated that any number of barrel receiving cradles may be placed around the periphery of the wheel. A wheel with five or more barrel receiving cradles will give a smoother operation than one with four or less barrel receiving cradles, but a wheel with four or less cradles will operate very satisfactorily. The number of cradles to be used depends primarily upon the capacity desired.

The term rotatable is used throughout the specification to describe a rotation in one direction for a complete cycle of operation as distinguished from a reciprocating motion for a complete cycle of operation.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of the invention, many variations and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the above described invention.

I claim:

1. A barrel tipper of the class described comports mounted thereon, an axle mounted on said supports, two polygonal wheels mounted on said axle in spaced relation and the faces of said polygprising in combination a foundation member, suponal wheels being co-extensive with each other 1 whereby the faces form a plurality of cradles around the periphery of the two wheels, a means projecting from the ends of said cradles for preventing the-containers from sliding off said cradles, a means for rotating said axle, and a means for intercepting and removing the containers from the cradles after the containers have been turned through a predetermined are.

2. A barrel tipping machine as described which comprises in combination, a support, a vertically disposed rotatable polygonal wheel mounted upon said support, a plurality of cradles integral with the periphery of said wheel for receiving containers disposed with the rolling axis in a sub stantially horizontal plane, a drive shaft for turning said wheel, a power shaft, a clutch disposed between said drive shaft and power shaft for establishing operativerelations, a means for rotatively adjusting the wheel by turning the drive shaft independently of the power shaft, and a means for intercepting and removing the containers disposed on the periphery of said wheel after said containers have been turned through a predetermined angle.

3. A container tipping machine as described which comprises, in combination, a support, a vertically disposed rotatable wheel mounted upon said support, a means for rotating said wheel, spaced parallel members mounted upon the periphery of said wheel for supporting containers disposed thereon, means at the ends of said spaced members to retain the containers on the spaced members as the wheel rotates, a conveyor means adjacent said wheel and near the top part thereof for conveying containers in a rolling axis position to the spaced members mounted on the periphery of said wheel, and a movable conveyor for intercepting and removing the containers from the spaced members after said wheel has turned through substantially a right angle.

i. A barrel tipping machine of the class described which comprises, in combination, a supporting means, an axle mounted upon said supporting means, a vertically disposed wheel rigidly fastened to said axle, the periphery of said wheel provided with a plurality of parallel spaced members whereby said spaced members form a plurality of cradles about the periphery of the wheel, a means for rotating said wheel, a conveyor near the top part of said wheel for conveying barrels in a rolling axis position to said cradles, and a'secand conveyor for intercepting and removing the barrels from said cradles after the wheel has turned through a predetermined angle.

CARL J. 

